Control and illuminating of refrigerator cabinets



March 28, 1939. J KNlGHT v 2,152,486

CONTROL AND ILLUMINATING OF REFRIGERATOR CABINETS Filed Nov. 3, 1936 Fig. I.

In ventor:

James LKni ht.

is Attovng h Patented Mar. 28, 1939 2,152,486

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CONTROL AND ILLUMINATING OF REFRIG- ERATOR CABINETS James L. Knight, Erie, Pa., assignor to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Application November 3, 1936, Serial No. 108,955

4 Claims. (Cl. 236-1) My invention relates to refrigerator cabinets, an insulated refrigerated compartment ll havand particularly to an arrangement associated ing an opening i2 in one wall thereof and a door with the refrigerated compartment of such a i 3. A refrigerant evaporator i4 is housed in the cabinet for illuminating the interior of the comcompartment Ii to refrigerate the same and is 5 partment and preventing undesirably low temconnected to a suitable source of refrigerant such peratures therein. as a compressing and condensing unit l5 ar- In household refrigerators a source of illuminaranged on top of the cabinet. An electric lamp tion is usually placed within the refrigerated i6 is mounted within the refrigerated compartcompartment which is controlled by the operation ment in such position that it will illuminate the 10 of the door so that the source of illumination is interior of the compartment when the circuit in 10 turned on when the door is opened and turned which it is included is completed to a source of oif when the door is closed. It is desirable that supp y- An electric Switch i1 is mounted in the such articles, as fruits, vegetables, meats, and opening H2 in the refrigerator cabinet in such other perishables placed in the refrigerated composition that it will be actuated by the door 13 15 partment be kept at a low temperature near to close the switch when the door is opened and 5 freezing to properly preserve these articles; yet to Ope the Switc when t e door s Clos d- A such articles must not be permitted to freeze.' a thermostatic switch I8 is positioned in the Upon the occurrence of low room temperatures refrigerated compartment in contact with the the refrigerating apparatus associated with the cold air circulated therein. This thermostatic 2 refrigerated compartment will freeze the conswitch is positioned on the lower right hand portents thereof due to the diminished heat leakage tion of the rear wall of the refrigerated cominto the refrigerated compartment at these low pa t nt S as to be p s ve to t e average room temperatures. Moreover, if the room temtemperature prevailing in the refrigerated comperature goes below freezing the contents of the p t e t and not to be unduly afiected y the refrigerated compartment will be frozen whether low temperature of the surface of the evaporaor not the refrigerating apparatus is operated. tor H.

Accordingly, it is an object of my invention to Referring now to Fig. 2, it will be seen that provide an improved arrangement for illuminatthe electric circuit above referred to comprises ing the interior of a refrigerated compartment conductors 20 connected to a suitable source of and for preventing undesirably low temperatures Supp y, the electric p and tWO Parallel 30 therein. I accomplish this by providing an arbranch circuits 2| a d 22. The branch circuit rangement responsive to the temperature within 22 includes the doo op Sw h An the refrigerated compartment for turning on the electric circuit may be established from the source door controlled source of illumination upon the of supply through the lamp [6, either through occurrence of undesirably low temperature in the the b e circuit 2 including e t er tat 35 refrigerated compartment, and thus supply sufliswitch l8, or through the branch circuit 22, incient heat from the source of illumination under cluding the door operated switch H. The lamp this condition to prevent the contents of the rey thus be energized by Operation of either frigerated compartment from being frozen. switch independently of the other. 1

40 Further objects and advantages of my inven- The door operated switch I! is preferably of 40 tion will become apparent as the following detthe p yp as illustrated, p ses scription proceeds, and the features of novelty plunger 30 spring biased to an outward position, which characterize my invention will be pointed a bridging contact member 3| secured to the out with particularity in the claims annexed to plu r a d a p a y f p ra staand forming a part of this specification. tionary contacts included in the branch circuit 45 Forabetter understanding of my inventionref- 22. The contact members of the switch are erence may be had to the accompanying drawhoused by a suitable moisture proof housing 32, ing, in which Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a such as hard rubber or the like, to prevent any refrigerator cabinet embodying my invention; moisture Present in e Surrounding h rm l inand-Fig. 21s an enlarged fragmentary view, partly sulating material 33, between the inner and outer 5 in section, of a portionof the refrigerator cabinet, metallic Walls 34 and respectively, of he shown in Fig. 1, and an electrical diagram of the sulated compartment, from corroding the contact circuits employed. members. The door operated switch I1 is nor- Referring to the drawing, in Fig. 1 I haveshown mally biased to an outward or closed position and a household refrigerator cabinet ill provided with is actuated to an open position by the engage- 55 ment of the door It with the plunger 30, when the door is closed. Hence, the switch ll closes the branch circuit 22 when the door is isopened, and opens the branch circuit 22 when the door II is closed. In this manner the lamp I6 is turned on when the door is opened and normally turned off when the door is closed.

The thermostatic switch l8 may be of any suitable type. The switch illustrated comprises a movable contact 40 carried on the free end of a bimetallic element H which is secured at the other end thereof to a fixed support 42. The contact 40 is arranged in operative relationship with an adjustable stationary contact 43. When the temperature of the bimetallic element ll is above a predetermined temperature the contacts 40 and 43 are retained in an open position and the .branch circuit 2| is broken. When the temper-,

ature of the bimetallic element ll is below a predetermined low temperature, the contacts 40 and. AI are retained in a closed position and the branch circuit 2| is completed. Thus, the thermostatic switch lllnormally opens and closes the branch circuit" as the temperature within 'door is closed the branch circuit 22 is broken by the switch l1, and the lamp [6 is turned oil. During the operation of the refrigerator, if the temperature within the refrigerated compartment ll falls below a predetermined low temperature within the freezing range due, for example, to a change in outside temperature, the thermostatic switch l8 closes the branch circuit 2|, thus completing a circuit through the lamp ll from the source of supply and the lamp l6- supplies heat to the compartment to prevent freezing of articles therein. When sufficient heat has been added to the compartment II to cause the temperature therein to rise to a predetermined temperature above freezing, the thermostatic switch lfl breaks the branch circuit 2| and turns oil! the lamp I6. 'I'hus,- the lampand 1. A refrigerated compartment provided with a door, an electric lamp arranged to illuminate and to heat said compartment, an electric circuit for said lamp, illumination control means including aswitch in said circuit for closing said circuit in response to opening said door and for opening said circuit in response to closing said door, and heat control means including a thermostatic device responsive to the temperature within said compartment for independently controlling said circuit.

2. A refrigerated compartment provided with a door, an electric lamp arranged to illuminate and to heat said compartment, an electric circuit for said lamp, illumination control means includ-- ing a switch in said circuit for closing said circuit in response to opening said door and for opening said circuit in response to closing said door, and heat control means'including a thermostatic device positioned in said compartment and responsive to the temperature 01' the air therein for independently controlling said circuit.

3. A refrigerated compartment provided with a door, an electric lamp arranged to illuminate and to heat said compartment, an electric circuit for said lamp, illumination control means including a switch in said circuit for closing said circuit in response to opening said door and for opening said circuit in response to closing said door, and heat control means including a thermostatic device in said circuit and responsive to the temperature within said compartment for closing said circuit when the temperature in said compartment falls to a predetermined low temperature and for opening said circuit when the temperature in said compartment rises to a predetermined higher temperature.

4. A refrigerated compartment provided with an opening therein, a door for closing said opening, an electric lamp mounted within said compartment and arranged to illuminate and to heat the same, an electric circuit for said lamp, means including a switch in said circuit and positioned in said opening for controlling the illumination of said compartment, said switch being actuated to close said circuit when said door is opened and actuated to open said circuit when said door is closed, and heat control means including a thermostatic device in said circuit and positioned in said compartment to be subject to the cold air circulated therein for closing said circuit when the temperature in said compartment falls to a predetermined temperature near freezing and for opening said circuit when the temperature in said compartment rises to a predetermined-temperature above freezing.

\ JAMES L. KNIGHT. 

